


a mile to your house, a glow in the dark

by momitchi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Thunderstorms, childhood flashback, fort-building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2014-07-28
Packaged: 2018-02-10 18:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2034900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momitchi/pseuds/momitchi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a quiet eureka moment when Kenma realized that his feelings for his best friend were more than just friendly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a mile to your house, a glow in the dark

It was a quiet eureka moment when Kenma realized that his feelings for his best friend were more than just friendly.

 

It was late, a school night, and thunderstorming outside. Kenma had never been a big fan of thunderstorms, and this one was particularly brutal, causing him to jump every time he heard a thunderclap. Normally, with smaller storms, he was able to calm himself down enough to sleep, but not tonight. The last time there was a thunderstorm this big, he had been sleeping over at Kuroo's when they were a few years younger. 

***

They were in sleeping bags on the floor together, and just as they were settling into sleep, there was a loud crack of thunder and a flash of lightning. Kenma had let out a yelp, clueing Kuroo in to the boy's fear.

"Hey," Kuroo had whispered, quiet voice already soothing compared to the pounding rain on the windows. "Are you scared?"

Kenma glanced to the shadowy figure that was Kuroo, trying to make out his expression, but it was too dark. Suddenly—another strike of lightning. In that brief moment, Kenma saw the concern on Kuroo's face, and he was certain Kuroo saw the fear in his—so he nodded, retreating further into the cocoon of his sleeping bag.

"It's okay," Kuroo whispered again. "We're safe here." He flashed a grin so bright Kenma was able to make it out in the dark. "I'll protect you!"

Kuroo must have been able to see Kenma's quizzical expression in the dark, must have realized he needed evidence to support his bold claim.

"I'll be right back," he said, starting to get up. When he saw the panicked look on Kenma's face, though, he paused. "Actually, why don't you come with me? I might need some help."

That made Kenma curious enough to distract him from the storm and decide to follow the boy, down the hall, to the small closet where Kuroo's family kept things like spare blankets and bed sheets. Kuroo grabbed a stack of blankets off one of the shelves and handed them to Kenma before grabbing more himself. He motioned for Kenma to follow him and led them back to their sleeping bags, setting the blankets down in a heap at his feet.

"We're going to make a fort," Kuroo said, already beginning to drag furniture from the rest of the room into position. He picked up one of the blankets and draped it across the furniture, securing it in place.

Kenma didn't really help, just handed Kuroo blankets when he reached, arm outstretched, for another.

The finished fort was nothing impressive, and the roof sank in a little in the middle, but it was all that they needed.

A few blankets were left over. "Kuroo," Kenma asked hesitantly. "Should we bring these back to the hall closet?"

"Nope!" Kuroo said. "We're bringing them into the fort with us." he gestured for Kenma to crawl in first and followed, dragging the rest of the blankets inside. "Don't lay down yet, I need to make something inside the fort too."

Kenma crouched off to the side, watching Kuroo. He pulled the sleeping bags together so that they were side by side without an inch of space between them.

"Okay, you can lay down now! But stay on top of your sleeping bag."

Kenma gave Kuroo a puzzled look, which he hoped he could see despite the dark, but obeyed his friend's orders. He lay down on top of the sleeping bag while Kuroo followed suit right beside him. Then, Kuroo reached over to the mass of blankets and pulled them across the both of them.

"All done!" he said, triumphant. "We can't see the storm now, and I’m closer to you so I can protect you better if anything happens." he shifted onto his back, hands behind his head, nose proudly sticking high up in the air.

Kenma scooted closer to Kuroo across the two sleeping bags and tugged at his sleeve.

"Kuroo," he whispered, a little embarrassed. "Thanks."

Kuroo turned to him and smiled. "Don't worry about it. I would do anything for my best friend."

***

Kenma thought back to that time and sighed. Kuroo had known exactly what to do to calm Kenma's nerves, and he wished he could do that now—wished he could be there with him, comfort him, protect him from the storm. His heart beat fast at the thought of sleeping so close to him once more.

“Oh,” Kenma said aloud. _I think I love him._

 

_Maybe he's still awake,_ Kenma thought. _Maybe if I call him and just hear him it'll calm me down._

Kenma reached for his phone just as another flash of lightning broke out across the sky. He jumped, grasping for his phone, and dialed Kuroo's number with shaking hands.

He picked up after two rings.

"Okay," Kuroo said, confused. "Normally _I'm_ the one calling _you_ late at night. What's wrong?"

Kenma didn't bother beating around the bush. "There's a storm outside," he said. "I'm scared. I just wanted to hear your voice."

There was silence on the other end. Kenma's heart began to sink—did Kuroo think he was stupid for still being scared of storms now, as a teenager? Just before Kenma let his thoughts get the better of him, Kuroo spoke again.

"How many blankets do you have at your house?"

"What?" Kenma asked, perplexed by the question.

"I'm coming over," Kuroo said matter-of-factly. "I just wanted to know if I should bring some of my own blankets."

"Kuroo, you don't have to—"

"Eh, whatever. I'll bring some anyway, just in case. Is your door unlocked?"

"What? Kuroo—"

"Well, I know where the spare key is, so I guess it doesn't really matter. I'll see you in a few."

The line went dead before Kenma had the chance to say another word.

***

Sure enough, Kuroo crept into Kenma's room just barely six minutes later. He knocked on the door twice, quiet, to alert Kenma to his presence.

"Hey," he whispered. "Is it okay if I use your dryer? I brought a change of clothes but these ones are soaking wet, so—"

"You didn't have to come all the way here," Kenma said, sitting up.

"Sure I did," Kuroo said, grinning. "We haven't had a sleepover on a school night in years."

"What? That doesn't have anything to do with—"

"I'm gonna change and toss my clothes in the dryer, try and arrange the furniture into a—" Kuroo gestured with his hands. "—fort-like-shape, if you can." He dashed back down the hall, again, before Kenma had the chance to reply.

Kenma sighed, exasperated. Still, he got out of bed and glanced around his room, looking for furniture he could drag over to make, apparently, another fort.

"Tch," Kenma muttered to himself. "A 'fort-like-shape,' you could just say it's a square."

He managed to bring a floor lamp, his desk chair, and a lamp on his bedside table together to make a triangular shape around his bed by the time Kuroo returned in fresh, dry clothes.

"Hmm," he said, eyeing Kenma's arrangement. "Not quite what I was picturing, but that'll work."

Kenma rolled his eyes as Kuroo immediately got to work draping blankets across the furniture, nearly knocking over each of the lamps in his haste.

"Okay, c'mon," he said, stretching and yawning. "Let's get inside."

It was a snug fit, considering Kenma only had a twin-sized bed, but they managed. They were both curled up, facing each other, comforter and blankets strewn across them.

"Kuroo," Kenma said, hoping the other boy couldn't hear the racing of his heart in their close proximity—or that if he did, he'd think it was because of the thunderstorm. "Thank you."

He heard, more than saw, Kuroo smirk. "Don't worry about it, Kenma. I told you, I'll do anything to protect my best friend."

Kenma smiled, but his heart felt heavy upon hearing Kuroo's words. Best friends didn’t seem like enough anymore, but how was Kenma supposed to tell him that after all Kuroo had already done for him?

With the storm forgotten and mind exhausted from thoughts racing a million miles a minute, Kenma was able to drift off to sleep pretty quickly.

***

The two boys woke the next morning a snotty, sneezy mess.

"Ugh," Kuroo moaned. "Why do I feel so gross?"

Kenma sniffled. "Probably because you were out in the rain last night." Kuroo interrupted him with a sneeze. "And you got me sick, too. Thanks a lot."

They ended up calling in sick to their classes that day.

"I guess this is kind of a good thing," Kuroo said later that morning as they were dismantling the fort. "I forgot my uniform at home last night anyway."

 

They ate a breakfast of cereal on the living room couch, watching TV shows aimed at children who were still to young to go to school. Despite that, Kuroo was paying rapt attention to the cartoon characters running across the screen.

Kenma studied him quietly while he chewed his food. Kuroo's bedhead was especially terrible today, and with the way he kept turning his neck he figured that Kuroo had slept on it funny. He could tell that Kuroo felt worse than he was letting on—there were bags under his eyes and every time he thought Kenma wasn't looking he would close his eyes for a few moments, only to turn back as cheeky as ever.

"Kuroo," Kenma said during a commercial break. "I want to take a nap."

"Oh? Do you want me to leave now, then?" Kuroo asked, looking about ready for a nap himself.

"No, it's fine. You could nap in my bed, if you want."

Kuroo gave him a look. "You hate it when I so much as sit on your bed. Actually,” he paused, considering. “I'm surprised you even let me sleep there with you last night. Is this your way of showing gratitude or something?"

"I guess," Kenma said, looking away.

Kuroo kept his gaze on Kenma but said nothing.

"Hey Kuroo…what do you usually do when you're scared?"

"Hmm? You really think I get scared?" Kuroo teased.

Kenma didn't say anything, just looked at him expectantly.

"I'm kidding," he said. "I get scared too. Lots, actually…by little things."

"Like what?"

Kuroo glanced down at the space between his knees. "Things like…'what if I can't do this?' or 'what if I let this person down?' things like that, I guess."

"So what do you do?"

Kuroo gave him a soft smile. "I just think of the person I like."

Kenma's heart felt like a dead weight in his chest. "You like someone?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kuroo murmured. "I have for a long time. They're incredible." he paused, collecting his thoughts. "They make me want to try harder, to push myself…to overcome any obstacles in my way…so I think of them and act brave and face whatever's in my path. I want to do anything I can for them."

"Oh," was all Kenma managed to say. _He said he would do anything for me, too…I guess I’m not so special after all._

Kuroo turned to face him, cheeks slightly reddened. "Do you like anyone, Kenma?"

Kenma froze, startled by his question. He pulled his feet up onto the couch and stared at his toes as he mulled over his answer.

"I guess I do," Kenma said, quiet, voice barely audible. "Although I didn't realize it until recently."

"Who is it?" Kuroo asked and Kenma groaned. Why did he always have to be so straightforward at the worst times?

"Like I'd tell you something like that."

"Oh, come on. I'll tell you if you tell me."

This did pique Kenma's interest. He stayed quiet a moment, considering. "Fine," he said. "But you say first."

Kuroo smirked and sat back into the couch. "It's you," he said, as simply as saying the sky was blue.

Kenma started. "What?" he asked, incredulous. "Are you joking?"

"No," Kuroo said, puzzled. "Who else would it be?"

"I don't know," Kenma said, avoiding eye contact at all costs. "I just didn't think…that you would return my feelings." he mumbled.

Kuroo gave him a confused look. "Really?" he asked. "I wouldn't come over in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm for just anyone, you know."

"You said you would do anything for your _best friend,_ " Kenma quoted.

"Oh, what? Like I was just supposed to confess my feelings to you right at that moment?" Kuroo retorted.

"Oh my god," Kenma sighed. "You're an idiot. I'm in love with an idiot."

Kuroo's ears perked up at that. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I think I heard you say that you…. _loved me?_ " Kuroo leaned forward, batting his eyelashes and flashing his absolute cheekiest grin.

"Ugh," Kenma whined, resting his chin on his knees and wrapping his arms across them to hide his blush. "Shut up. Maybe."

Kuroo scooted closer to Kenma and rested his head atop the younger boy's. "Don't be embarrassed. I love you, too."

Simultaneously, the boys lifted their heads and turned to look at each other. Kenma's eyes kept flitting away, nervous, but Kuroo held his gaze steady.

"Am I not making it obvious enough that I want to kiss you right now?"

Kenma turned then to stare at him, exasperated, and Kuroo used that chance to lean in and press their lips together. For the quickness with which he moved, the kiss was soft and slow and sweet. Kuroo's hand brushed across Kenma's cheek as he tilted the boy's chin up to deepen the kiss. Kenma let out a contented sigh, responding in earnest.

Kuroo pulled away first, flushed and a little lightheaded. "Sorry," he said between breaths. "Was that okay?"

"You taste like cereal," Kenma said, but with a smile. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

Kuroo groaned. "You're awfully quick to tease for someone who already busted out the L-word."

Kenma glared at him but let out a chuckle. "You used it too, though."

"And I meant it." Kuroo said, leaning forward and resting his forehead on Kenma's shoulder. He inhaled, breathing in the familiar scent of the other boy.

"And _I_ meant it when I said I wanted to nap," Kenma said.

"I don't want to moooove," Kuroo whined.

"Let's just sleep on the couch then," Kenma said.

Kuroo exhaled, wrapping his arms around Kenma and pulling him nearly on top of him as he leaned back to lay down on the couch. "I guess that works," he said as he settled in.

Kenma sighed, content, as he wrapped an arm around Kuroo and made himself comfortable. They fell asleep quickly, the sound of children's cartoons still playing on the TV, lulling them into a deep, restful sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> based off a prompt i received on tumblr!
> 
> i hope it's to your liking, anon! i'm not quite sure if this is what you had in mind...this one really got away from me for a while—writing younger!kuroken was so much fun, haha.
> 
> please feel free to leave me any constructive crit or feedback!! i edited this while running on fumes so i'm sure i overlooked some mistakes...
> 
> also, title is part of a lyric from [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyAJ4V06izg)


End file.
